Bills add 10 to coaching staff

ORCHARD PARK, NY – Head coach Doug Marrrone announced the addition of 10 coaches to his staff on Tuesday.

Eric Ciano

Head Strength and Conditioning

Donnie Henderson

Defensive Backs

Chuck Driesbach

Linebackers

Tyrone Wheatley

Running Backs

Jim O’Neil

Linebackers

Greg Adkins

Tight Ends

Anthony Weaver

Defensive Line

Brian Fleury

Defensive Quality Control

Samson Brown

Assistant Defensive Backs

Jason Rebrovich

Defensive Quality Control

“I’m excited to announce the newest members of the Buffalo Bills coaching staff,” said head coach Doug Marrone. “When I began the hiring process for our staff, I sought after individuals that had a strong work ethic, passion for the game of football and experience which are all qualities demonstrated in each of our new hires.”

Eric Ciano (Head Strength and Conditioning): Ciano returns for his fourth season with the Buffalo Bills, re-joining the team as a member of head coach Doug Marrone’s staff. In recent years, Ciano primarily trained quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, defensive backs and specialists. Prior to joining Buffalo, he spent five seasons at Georgia Tech overseeing strength and conditioning for all of Tech’s athletic teams and working primarily with the football team.

Donnie Henderson (Defensive Backs): Henderson joins the Bills after a one-year stint in Syracuse with Bills head coach Doug Marrone. He also worked with Marrone in 2004-05 while he served as defensive coordinator with the New York Jets. Henderson is a veteran coach with more than a decade of experience on both the collegiate and professional coaching levels. He has worked NFL sidelines for 10 years and in the college ranks for 18. In 2004, Henderson was the coordinator for the Jets defense that improved to seventh, from 21st, in the NFL in total defense and rookie linebacker Jonathan Vilma was named the 2004 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. In 2005, the Jets finished second in the NFL in total passing yards allowed (172.2 avg.) and finished fifth with 21 interceptions. Henderson began his NFL coaching career with Baltimore in 1999 as the assistant defensive backs coach and was promoted to coach defensive backs in 2000. During Henderson’s tenure with the Ravens from 1999-2003, Baltimore ranked second in the NFL with 88 interceptions and he tutored a secondary that included Pro Bowlers in safeties Rod Woodson, who is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Ed Reed, and cornerback Chris McAlister. In 2000, Baltimore set defensive records for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165), fewest rushing yards allowed (970) while also setting franchise records with 23 interceptions and leading the NFL with 49 takeaways. The Ravens secondary was responsible for 12 interceptions, six forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries.

Chuck Driesbach (Linebackers): Driesbach enters his first year as an NFL coach after 36 years in the college ranks including five (2007-11) as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at Rice University. He is entering his 37th year of coaching, including 20 years as a defensive coordinator. Prior to his time at Rice, Driesbach spent the previous two years as the secondary coach at Michigan State. Prior to his time with the Spartans, Driesbach served as the defensive coordinator at Ole Miss (2002-04), TCU (2001), Western Michigan (1997-2000); Pittsburgh (1993-96) and Cornell (1990-92). In 2003, Ole Miss tied for the Southeastern Conference Western Division title en route to a 10-3 record, including a 31-28 victory over Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl, and a No. 13 ranking in the final Associated Press poll.

Tyrone Wheatley (Running Backs): Wheatley will enter his first season as an assistant coach with the Buffalo Bills in 2013 and will oversee the team’s running backs. Wheatley comes to Buffalo after tutoring the backfield at Syracuse from 2010-12 under head coach Doug Marrone. While at Syracuse from 2010-12, Wheatley guided a rushing offense that improved tremendously during his time with the Orange. The Orange backfield averaged 187.0 yards per game in 2012 – an improvement of 60.5 yards per game (126.5) in the team’s average in the year prior to Wheatley’s arrival. Following a standout career as a four-year starter at the University of Michigan, Wheatley was the 17th overall draft choice in the 1995 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. Wheatley played in the NFL for 10 seasons, including four years with the Giants (1995-98) and six with the Oakland Raiders (1999-2004). He was named the Victor Awards Comeback Player of the Year in 2000 after tallying career-bests of 1,046 rushing yards on 232 carries with nine touchdowns.

Jim O’Neil (Linebackers): Jim O’Neil will enter his first year with the Buffalo Bills as a linebackers coach in 2013 – his fifth season in the NFL. He comes to Buffalo after spending the previous four years with the New York Jets under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. He joined the Jets’ coaching staff in 2009 as a defensive quality control coach before being elevated to assistant defensive backs coach for three seasons from 2010-12. The Jets’ passing defense finished second in the NFL in 2012 (189.8), fifth in 2011 (201.0), sixth in 2010 (200.6) and first in 2009 (153.7). While with the Jets from 2009-12, New York’s defense held opposing passers to an NFL-low 71.0 quarterback rating, completion percentage (52.6%), passing yards (186.3 per game) and forced the highest percentage of three-and-out drives (29.4%). Prior to entering the NFL coaching ranks with the Jets in 2009, O’Neil spent eight years with college programs. From 2006-08, he served as the recruiting coordinator and safeties coach at Eastern Michigan. His previous college stints include Towson in 2005 (defensive coordinator), Northwestern from 2003-04 (graduate assistant/defensive backs), Pennsylvania in 2002 (assistant offensive line) and SUNY Albany in 2001 (assistant offensive line/tight ends).

Greg Adkins (Tight Ends): Adkins joins the Buffalo Bills’ coaching staff in 2013 as the team’s tight ends coach. He spent the previous four years as the offensive line and recruiting coordinator at Syracuse under head coach Doug Marrone. In 2012, the Syracuse offensive line held opposing defenses to 16.0 sacks – the second-fewest allowed by the Orange since 2000 and blocked for a rushing offense that ranked third in the BIG EAST with an average of 187.0 yards per game. Syracuse held opponents to the seventh-fewest tackles for loss per game in 2012 (4.31). Before joining Syracuse’s staff in 2009, Adkins had coaching stints at Tennessee (2003-08), Troy (2001-02), Georgia (1996-2000) and Marshall (1991-95).

Anthony Weaver (Defensive Line): Weaver will enter his second season in the NFL and first with the Buffalo Bills in 2013 as the team’s defensive line coach. He spent the previous year working as the assistant defensive line coach with the New York Jets under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. Prior to joining the Jets’ staff in 2012, Weaver was the linebackers coach at North Texas University in 2011. He spent 2010 as a defensive graduate assistant at Florida. Weaver enjoyed a seven year NFL playing career from 2002-08. He entered the NFL as a second-round draft choice of the Baltimore Ravens in 2002 and spent the 2002-05 seasons with the Ravens before three years with the Houston Texans. In 103 games played with 98 starts, Weaver recorded 260 tackles, 15.5 sacks, three interceptions and five forced fumbles. In 2007, Weaver was recognized as the recipient of the Ed Block Courage Award – an annual recognition of one player from every NFL team who exemplifies the principles of sportsmanship and courage.

Brian Fleury (Defensive Quality Control): Fleury joins the Bills as defensive quality control coach for his first season in the NFL. Fleury spent the past four years as secondary coach and special teams coordinator at Towson University. Fleury played a vital role in the Towson Tigers’ drive to back-to-back Colonial Athletic Association championships (2011-12). Under his guidance, the Tiger defense led the conference in total defense and passing defense. Towson finished 2012 ranked 16th in the country in total defense and 19th in the country in passing defense. In 2011, the Tigers’ special teams led the CAA in kickoff return average, finishing 16th in the country.

Samson Brown (Assistant Defensive Backs): Brown enters his third season in the NFL and first as a position coach as assistant defensive backs coach. He spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons with the New York Jets as a coaching assistant. Prior to his time with the Jets, he worked for three seasons with the University of Albany football program; one year as the tight ends coach after working for two years with the outside linebackers. Brown was also an intern coach with the NFL's Green Bay Packers in the summer of 2009.

Jason Rebrovich (Defensive Quality Control): Rebrovich will enter his first year in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 2013 as a defensive quality control coach. Prior to coming to Buffalo, Rebrovich spent the previous 2011 and 2012 seasons at Syracuse as a defensive assistant under head coach Doug Marrone. From 2008-10, Rebrovich was the defensive coordinate at Cortland State. Rebrovich began his coaching career at his alma mater of Cortland as the team’s defensive line and strength coach for three seasons (2001-03). In between his stints at Cortland, he worked with the defensive line at Ferris State University from 2005-07 and at Concord University in 2004. Rebrovich also served as the head strength and conditioning coach at both Ferris and Concord.